5 Best Disney Broadway Showstoppers
Today we’re going back in time. Some fantastic shows have seen the final curtain fall. I’m paying them the homage they deserve by ranking the top 5 best Disney Broadway showstoppers!
Disney theatrics has a long history of wowing theatergoers on Broadway. Times Square’s major upgrade since its dark, dreary 80’s days is due in large part to Disney’s presence on Broadway and the company’s desire for wanting theatergoers to feel safe seeing one of their shows. Not even two years after its cinematic debut, the animated hit Beauty and the Beast made a debut of a different sort- this time with live performers on Broadway!
Since Beauty and the Beast broke ground for Disney on Broadway, the Company began producing show after show…and they aren’t showing any signs of slowing down! Today, there are three Disney shows playing on Broadway that you can catch on your next visit to the big apple. 5) Under the Sea (The Little Mermaid)
Practically begging to be made into a live musical number, the underwater party that is Under the Sea swam its way into our hearts in animated form in 1989. The song went on to win that year’s Oscar for ‘best original song’, and its massive popularity was only at its beginning! In 2008, The Little Mermaid opened on Broadway, and although it wasn’t the act break number, Under the Sea garnered the most applause each of the 6 times I’ve seen it! (Obsession? Yes!)
4) Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Mary Poppins)
I’m only spelling that doozy out once, so I hope you caught it the first time! Mary Poppins was never in my personal Disney movie collection growing up, so for me, I went into the Broadway production expecting nothing short of boredom and watch-checking. I was pleasantly shocked by Ashely Brown’s unbelievably spot-on portrayal of Mary Poppins, and for me, the show went from a yawner to a sleeper hit before intermission! Bert’s tap dancing on the ceiling drew major ‘oo’s’ and ‘ahh’s’, but Supercalifragilistic absolutely brought the house down!
3) Let It Go (Frozen)
Years after it shattered cinematic box offices on Thanksgiving weekend, Frozen is without question the most popular Disney film of my lifetime. It finally made its way to the Great White Way, and unsurprisingly, is one of the most expensive Broadway tickets you can buy. It certainly wasn’t my favorite Disney produced show overall. I’ve never been in a theatre filled with so many screams of delight and awe as when the newly anointed Queen Elsa transforms from ‘feared’ to ‘fearless’ right before my eyes!
In an instant, Elsa uses her powers to trade her dark, demure inauguration outfit for that famous shimmering blue gown! You know the moment I’m talking about, and let me tell you, the transformation live is nothing short of incredible.
2) Friend Like Me (Aladdin)
Have a wish, or two, or three! When a group of friends and I saw the show, the first act of Aladdin on Broadway wasn’t living up to our expectations. We were all used to Disney’s extravagant productions, and when the sets and costumes and overall production weren’t blowing us away, we knew the show needed a big number to save the day.
When Genie makes his grand and magical entrance…the show made a 180 from that moment on! The number is complete with a huge dance ensemble, a slew of rapid-fire costume changes, and the hilarious Genie’s brilliantly timed comedic touches. This one is the definition of a ‘show saver’ for sure!
1) Be Our Guest (Beauty and the Beast)
The show closed on Broadway many years ago, yet the outstanding stagecraft and artistry that put Disney Theatrics on the map deserves an award all its own. Well, it didn’t just win an award of its own, it won an astounding 9 Tony awards! From the moment the orchestra played the first note and the enchantress’ magically hooded figure curses the handsome prince during the Prologue, audiences knew they were in for something like they’ve never seen before.
Even though I was a child when it was open on Broadway, I still remember the Beast’s final transformation- the actor was suspended in mid air with seemingly no wires. Encased in a cocoon of light, smoke, and cloth, the transformation was Disney magic in its purest, most brilliant form.
The awe began in the Prologue and continued right on through to the act 1 showstopper, Be Our Guest. The scene from the film was basically ready-made for the stage, and to see Lumiere’s dinner show come to life in the form of human size cutlery and champagne bottles was one of those moments that Broadway dreams are made of.
The entire production of Beauty and the Beast remains one of the most gorgeously done I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing live on Broadway, and that’s why Be Our Guest earns our #1 spot on our list of Disney’s Best Broadway Showstoppers! Have you seen any of these shows on Broadway or on tour? Did your favorite showstopper make the list? Leave me a comment and we’ll start a conversation!
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